Hailsham man jailed for burglary, fraud, and theft

A Hailsham man has been jailed for five years and seven months after admitting two counts of burglary, one of theft and one of fraud by false representation.

Mark Stonestreet, 31, of Mill Road, was convicted at Lewes Crown Court on October 26 and sentenced on November 24 by His Honour Judge Jeremy Gold.

Police say in March this year Stonestreet had broken into the home of a lone and vulnerable 89-year-old local man and made him drive to a bank to withdraw cash. This was thwarted by alert bank staff.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said, “The following month he broke in again to steal money.

“On September 10 he had called on his victim, claiming to be a police officer and asking for banknotes to compare with previously stolen cash as part of an investigation. A promise to return the money was not honoured.”

In addition to being jailed, Stonestreet was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170